Document feeding apparatus, image reading apparatus and image forming apparatus

ABSTRACT

A document feeding apparatus in which the vibration of a document by the shock when the trailing edge of the document has passed an ante-reading roller is prevented to thereby prevent the misregister or distortion of a read image. More particularly, a document feeding apparatus for reading an image on a surface of a document to be read fed from an ante-reading roller, by an image reading carriage, and feeding the document to a downstream side by a delivery roller, the document feeding apparatus having a flat surface portion opposed to the image reading carriage, an upstream inclined portion disposed between the flat surface portion and the ante-reading roller and connected to the upstream side of the flat surface portion, a downstream inclined portion disposed between the flat surface portion and the delivery roller and connected to the downstream side of the flat surface portion, a reading guide for guiding a surface side opposite to the read surface of the document, a guide Mylar opposed to the reading guide and for guiding the read surface side of the document, and an auxiliary Mylar for holding the guide Mylar so that the guide Mylar may contact with the upstream inclined portion or the gap between the guide Mylar and the upstream inclined portion may become minute.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a document feeding apparatus for feeding adocument to a predetermined position, an image reading apparatus havingthe document feeding apparatus, and an image forming apparatus havingthe image reading apparatus.

2. Description of Related Art

In an image forming apparatus such as a digital copying machine, aprinter or a FAX apparatus, there is known an auto document feeder(hereinafter referred to as the ADF) disposed on a document glass standand designed to automatically feed a document to a reading position onthe document glass stand to read the image information of the document.Because of the recent rapid digitization and due to the development of ahigh-speed digital copying machine by digital reading and memorymounting, and the mounting of the ADF onto a low-priced popular kind ofmachine, higher accuracy and higher speed image reading performance arerequired of the ADF as image input means for transferring an image to apersonal computer or the like through a network.

As an ADF mounted on an image reading apparatus provided with tworeading modes, i.e., an ADF mode in which the ADF is installed above adocument glass stand and the flow reading of a document by the ADF iseffected, and a book mode in which a document is set on the documentglass stand and reading is effected with an optical system being moved,there is known one in which a document tray is disposed above a deliverytray and a document feed path leading from the document tray to thedelivery tray past a reading position is constituted by a U-turn path tothereby decrease occupation space and achieve the downsizing of theapparatus.

An ADF of this type is provided with a transparent film member as amember for guiding the surface side of a document. As the advantages ofthis type, mention may be made of the following:

(1) Unlike a case where a member for guiding the outer side of adocument is comprised of a plurality of members, a document can betransported smoothly from the upstream side of the reading position tothe delivery tray via the reading position. Particularly, the shock whenthe leading edge of the document strikes against a delivery guide memberfor guiding the document from the reading position to the delivery traycan be mitigated.

(2) It is not necessary to provide a construction for scooping up thedocument from the reading position to the delivery guide member andtherefore, there is not the necessity of providing an ADF readingposition discretely from in the image reading area of the book mode, andthe further downsizing of the apparatus can be achieved by an easyconstruction.

FIG. 9 of the accompanying drawings shows the construction of an exampleof an ADF in which the document feed path is constituted by the U-turnpath as described above and a transparent film member is used as adocument surface side guide member. Also, FIG. 10 of the accompanyingdrawings is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the essential portionsof the ADF, and FIG. 11 of the accompanying drawings is across-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10. It is to beunderstood that the ADF mentioned as an example is mounted on an imageforming apparatus (not shown). This example of the conventional art willhereinafter be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

The reference numeral 1 designates a document tray, and the referencenumeral 2 denotes a width regulation plate for regulating the side of adocument. The reference numeral 3 designates a pick-up roller, which canbe moved down to a position for contacting with the document (a position3′ on the upper surface of the document in FIG. 10). The referencenumeral 4 denotes a separation roller, which is always in contact with aseparation pad 5 opposed thereto and effects frictional separation tothereby feed the documents one by one. The reference numeral 6designates a first feed roller, and the reference numeral 7 denotes afeed runner.

A separated document is fed along a feed path formed by an inner guide10 and an outer guide 18 and downwardly curved and inclined, and istransported to a reading position Q via an ante-reading roller 11 and areading pressure runner 12 as upstream feed means immediately before thereading position Q. A guide member near the reading position Q forguiding the backside (the side opposite to a read side) of the documentis referred to as a reading guide 13. A guide Mylar 14 as a transparentsheet, which is a transparent film member, is mounted as means locatedon a side opposed to this reading guide 13 and for guiding the frontside of the document. The guide Mylar 14 is transparent plastic filmcomprising, for example, a PET material or the like, and is formed witha thickness of the order of 100 μm. A member restraining the guide Mylar14 by a boss portion is referred to as a Mylar holder 19. The guideMylar 14 has one end thereof restrained by the boss portion 19a of theMylar holder 19 and has the other end thereof resting on a deliveryguide 20 via a document glass stand 62.

The reading guide 13 is such that the surface thereof opposed to thereading position Q is formed by a flat surface portion 13 a parallel tothe document glass stand 62, and an upstream inclined portion 13 b and adownstream inclined portion 13 c connected to the flat surface portion13 a on the upstream side and downstream side thereof and curved andinclined. Also, the reading guide 13 is mounted for pivotal movementabout a pivotal fulcrum 13 d, and is biased toward the document glassstand 62 by biasing means (not shown). Also, as shown in FIG. 11, hitprojections 13 e as projected members are provided on the opposite endsof the flat surface portion 13 a in a direction orthogonal to a feedingdirection, and the minute interval “d” with respect to the guide Mylar14 is kept constant. Accordingly, the guide Mylar 14 is in contact withthe document glass stand 62 near the reading position Q, and the imageof the document is read through the guide Mylar 14 and the documentglass stand 62.

The document having passed the reading position Q is transported alongthe guide Mylar 14 mounted on an upwardly inclined delivery guide 20,and is delivered onto a delivery tray 17 by a delivery roller 15 and adelivery pressure runner 16 as downstream feed means. That is, in thisADF, a feed path leading from the document tray 1 to the delivery tray17 past the reading position Q is formed by a U-turn path.

In the ADF wherein the feed path is formed by a U-turn path as describedabove, there has been the problem that the document is fluttered by ashock at the moment when the trailing edge of the document beingtransported has passed between a pair of rollers immediately before thereading position and as the result, the defect of image such asmisregister or image distortion is liable to occur to the read image.The mechanism of this will now be described with reference to FIG. 12 ofthe accompanying drawings.

FIG. 12 illustrates the state at the moment when the trailing edge ofthe document passes an ante-reading roller. The document P istransported so as to be along the upstream inclined portion 13b anddownstream inclined portion 13 c of the reading guide 13 when thedocument P is transported while being nipped between the ante-readingroller 11 and the delivery roller 15.

This is because in order to prevent the useless slack or the like of thedocument being transported, the peripheral speed of the delivery roller15 is generally set at a level about 1% higher than the peripheral speedof the ante-reading roller 11. When the trailing edge of the document Phas passed the ante-reading roller 11, the document P so far transportedalong the upstream inclined portion 13 b of the reading guide 11 tendsto be restored to its original state by the stiffness of the documentand therefore falls toward the guide Mylar 14. By this shock, thedocument is fluttered up and down. The influence of this flutteringextends to the document at the reading position and as the result, thedefect of image such as misregister or distortion occurs to the readimage.

Against such problem, as described in Japanese Utility Model ApplicationLaid-Open No. 7-42258 (see FIG. 13 of the accompanying drawings), thereis a construction in which a presser plate 118 for directly pressing adocument against an inner guide with a resilient force is providedupstream of the reading position to thereby suppress the vibration orfluttering of the document and achieve the stable transport of thedocument at the reading position.

In the construction wherein the document is directly pressed, however,the shock at the moment when the trailing edge of the document haspassed the ante-reading roller 11 can be alleviated, but the shock atthe moment when the trailing edge of the document passes the presserplate 118 newly causes misregister or distortion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention solves such a problem peculiar to the conventionalart and has as its object to prevent, in a document feeding apparatus,the vibration of a document due to the shock when the trailing edge ofthe document passes upstream feed means, by inexpensive and simplemeans, to thereby prevent the misregister or distortion of a read image.

The typical construction of the present invention for achieving theabove object is a document feeding apparatus for reading an image on asurface of a document to be read fed from upstream feed means, byreading means, and feeding the document to a downstream side bydownstream feed means, the document feeding apparatus having a flatsurface portion opposed to the reading means, an upstream inclinedportion disposed between the flat surface portion and the upstream feedmeans and connected to the upstream side of the flat surface portion, adownstream inclined portion disposed between the flat surface portionand the downstream feed means and connected to the downstream side ofthe flat surface portion, a guide member for guiding a surface sideopposite to the read surface of the document, a transparent sheetopposed to the guide member and for guiding the read surface side of thedocument, and sheet holding means for holding the transparent sheet sothat the transparent sheet may contact with the upstream inclinedportion or the gap between the transparent sheet and the upstreaminclined portion may become minute.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the general construction of an image formingapparatus.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the essential portions of theimage reading apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the essential portions of adocument feeding apparatus (ADF) according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating the construction of the firstembodiment near a reading position.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the feeding state when thetrailing edge of a document passes an ante-reading roller.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating the construction of a secondembodiment near a reading position.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating an auxiliary Mylar in thesecond embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view illustrating the construction of a thirdembodiment near a reading position.

FIG. 9 shows the construction of an example of an ADF according to theconventional art.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the essential portions ofthe ADF according to the conventional art.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 illustrates the state at the moment when in the ADF according tothe conventional art, the trailing edge of a document passes anante-reading roller.

FIG. 13 is an illustration of a presser plate in the ADF according tothe conventional art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A first embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter bedescribed with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates the generalconstruction of an image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2 is across-sectional view showing the essential portions of the image readingapparatus. The image forming apparatus having the document readingfunction will first be described with reference to FIG. 1. As thegeneral construction, an image reading apparatus (hereinafter referredto as the scanner portion) 90 is placed on the image forming apparatus101, and a document feeding apparatus (hereinafter referred to as theADF portion) 30 is further mounted thereon.

The image forming apparatus 101 will first be briefly described. Thereference numeral 113 designates a laser scanner for image writing, andan image read by the scanner portion 90 is image-processed, whereafterin conformity with a recording signal, a laser beam is applied to aphotosensitive drum 108 as an image bearing member, whereby a latentimage is formed on the image bearing member. Further, a toner image isformed by a toner supplied from a toner supplying device (not shown).The reference numeral 102 denotes a cassette containing recording mediasuch as sheets of paper or sheet films.

In conformity with a recording signal, a recording medium is picked upfrom the cassette 102 by a pick-up roller 103, and is supplied to aposition opposed to the photosensitive drum 108 by a feed roller 104 anda separation roller 105, and the toner image formed on thephotosensitive drum 108 is transferred onto the recording medium by atransfer device 109. The recording medium onto which the toner image hasbeen transferred is sent to a fixing device 110 and the toner image isfixed thereby. When images are to be formed on both sides of a recordingmedium, the recording medium having had the image thereon fixed by thefixing device 110 is delivered to a delivery tray 112 by deliveryrollers 111 provided downstream of the fixing device 110.

The scanner portion 90 will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1and 2. A document glass stand 62 (transparent plate) for reading adocument flatly placed thereon is mounted on the upper surface of thescanner portion 90, and the ADF portion 30 is mounted openably andclosably relative to the document glass stand 62 and performs the roleas a document presser. The reference numeral 63 designates a documentabutting reference during a book mode disposed on the document glassstand 62. An image reading carriage 50 as reading means is mounted onthe scanner portion 90 for lateral movement along a guide shaft 57, andmakes the flatly placed document scannable.

Drive is transmitted from a motor (not shown) to the image readingcarriage 50 through a driving gear 58, driving pulleys 59, 60 and adriving belt 61. This image reading carriage 50, as shown in FIG. 2,carries thereon a lamp 51 for irradiating the document, reflectingmirrors 52, 53, 54, a lens 55 and a photoelectric conversion element 56.The image of the document irradiated by the lamp 51 is directed to thephotoelectric conversion element 56 via the reflecting mirrors 52, 53,54 and through the lens 55. When a document fed by the ADF is to beread, reading is effected with this image reading carriage 50 moved toand stopped at a predetermined reading position Q.

First Embodiment

The ADF portion 30 according to a first embodiment will now be describedwith reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showingthe essential portions of the document feeding apparatus (ADF) accordingto the first embodiment, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view illustrating theconstruction of the first embodiment near a reading position. In thesefigures, the same members or the functionally same members as those inthe example of the conventional art are given the same referencecharacters and need not be described.

On a Mylar holder 19 according to the first embodiment, there is mountedan auxiliary Mylar 21 as sheet holding means having one end thereofsecured to a bottom surface 19 c as by an adhesive double coated tapeand having the other end thereof extended to the vicinity of theboundary between the flat surface portion 13 a and upstream inclinedportion 13 b of a reading guide 13. The auxiliary Mylar 21 is asheet-like elastic member, and any plastic film can be used as theauxiliary Mylar, and it is comprised of a thin sheet-like or otherwiseshaped elastic member of e.g. a polyethylene material.

As shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary Mylar 21 raises a guide Mylar 14 withan elastic force while being slightly bent, and near the most protrudedportion of the upstream inclined portion 13 b of the reading guide 13,the guide Mylar 14 lightly contacts with the reading guide 13. Theauxiliary Mylar 21 raises the guide Mylar 14 near the boundary betweenthe upstream inclined portion 13 b to the flat surface portion 13 a ofthe reading guide 13. Since the guide Mylar 14 is raised so as to followits raised position, the interval thereof with respect to the readingguide 13 is narrowed with the range of the upstream inclined portion 13b. At this time, the guide Mylar 14 need not always contact with thereading guide 13, but the interval between the guide Mylar 14 near theupstream inclined portion 13 b and the reading guide 13 can be kept atthe order of 100-200 μm. Also, the auxiliary Mylar 21 extends in thecross-direction of a document, and raises the guide Mylar 14 with apredetermined push-up force over the width of the document.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view illustrating the feeding state when thetrailing edge of the document passes an ante-reading roller. When adocument P is fed and passes the ante-reading roller 11, the document Pis transported while depressing the guide Mylar 14 and the auxiliaryMylar 21. If at this time, the document is thin paper, it does notprovide feed resistance, and if the document is thick paper, it isnecessary to set the elastic force of the auxiliary Mylar 21 so as notto widen a feed path too much. In the present embodiment, the basicweight of thin paper is set to about 60 g/m², and the basic weight ofthick paper is set to about 110 g/m², and the thickness of the auxiliaryMylar 21 is set to 200 μm, And the auxiliary Mylar 21 raises the guideMylar 14 with an elastic force of 30 to 40 g.

Accordingly, the document is fed while depressing the guide Mylar 14 inconformity with the basic weight thereof to thereby secure a necessaryfeed path, but the interval of the upstream inclined portion 13 b withrespect to the reading guide 13 is kept at a minute interval of 200 to300 μm or less even if the document is thick paper. In this case, theguide Mylar 14 may be biased so as to sandwich the document P, but theurging force of the auxiliary Mylar 21 is adjusted so as to bias theguide Mylar with a sufficiently small force so that thin paper may notprovide feed resistance.

The document P is transported so as to be along the upstream inclinedportion 13 b of the reading guide 13 until the trailing edge of thedocument P passes the ante-reading roller 11 (broken line indicated inFIG. 5). When from this state, the trailing edge of the document Ppasses the ante-reading roller 11, the trailing edge of the document Pfalls toward the guide Mylar 14, but the vertical fluttering of thedocument due to the shock of the fall can be suppressed because theinterval between the reading guide 13 and the guide Mylar 14 near theupstream inclined portion 13 b is minute. Accordingly, the shock whenthe trailing edge of the document has passed the ante-reading roller 11can be prevented from reaching the document at the reading position Q.That is, as a result, the defect of image such as misregister ordistortion can be prevented from occurring to a read image.

To suppress the fluttering of the document due to the shock with whichthe trailing edge of the document has passed the ante-reading roller, itis effective not to hold down the document at a point but to hold downthe document with a range (area). As in the present embodiment, theguide Mylar 14 is disposed so as to follow even if the guide Mylar 14 israised at a point and therefore, the shock with which the trailing edgeof the document has passed the ante-reading roller can be absorbed by aninexpensive and easy construction.

Second Embodiment

A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to the drawings. Members similar to those in theaforedescribed embodiment are given the same reference characters andneed not be described. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view illustrating theconstruction of the second embodiment near the reading position.

An ADF portion 31 according to the second embodiment is provided with anauxiliary Mylar 22 as sheet holding means disposed so as to overlap theguide Mylar 14, on the opposed side of the upstream inclined portion 13b of the reading guide 13. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating theauxiliary Mylar in the second embodiment. The reference character 22 bdesignates escape apertures for reading pressure runners 12, and thereference character 22 c denotes an aperture for fitting to the bossportion 19 a of a Mylar holder 19. Also, three bent portions 22 a areprovided in the cross-direction of the document. The auxiliary Mylar 22is mounted on the Mylar holder 19 through the aperture 22 c for fittingto the boss portion 19 a of the Mylar holder 19, and the guide Mylar 14is mounted thereon.

As shown in FIG. 6, the guide Mylar 14 is raised toward and mounted onthe reading guide 13 by the bent portions 22 a of the auxiliary Mylar22, and lightly contacts with the reading guide 13 at the most protrudedportion of the upstream inclined portion 13 b. As the auxiliary Mylar22, as in the first embodiment, use can be made of any plastic filmhaving an elastic property, and it is constituted by a thin sheet-shapedor otherwise shaped elastic member of e.g. a polyethylene material. Thatis, it differs from the first embodiment in the point at which it raisesthe guide Mylar 14, but as in the first embodiment, it raises the guideMylar 14 with an elastic force and keeps the feed path near the upstreaminclined portion 13 b at a minute interval.

In the ADF portion 31 of the above-described construction, as in thefirst embodiment, the thickness and raising force of the auxiliary Mylar22 are adjusted so as not to provide feed resistance during the feedingof thin paper, and not to widen the feed path too much during thefeeding of thick paper. Accordingly, like the effect obtained in thefirst embodiment, the shock with which the trailing edge of the documenthas passed the ante-reading roller 11 is absorbed near the upstreaminclined portion 13b, and the document at the reading position can betransported stably.

Third Embodiment

A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described withreference to the drawing. Members similar to those in the aforedescribedembodiments are given the same reference characters and need not bedescribed. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view illustrating the construction ofthe third embodiment near the reading position.

In an ADF portion 32 according to the third embodiment, a Mylar holder23 as resin molded sheet holding means having little or no elastic forcein itself is extended to the vicinity of the boundary between theupstream inclined portion 13 b and flat surface portion 13 a of thereading guide 13.

As shown in FIG. 8, the Mylar holder 23 raises the guide Mylar 14, andas in the first and second embodiments, it lightly contacts with thereading guide 13 at the most protruded portion of the upstream inclinedportion 13 b. The Mylar holder 23 is rotatably supported on the frame(not shown) of the ADF portion 32 by a pivotal fulcrum 23 a. The bossportion 23 b of the underside of the Mylar holder 23 abuts against adocument abutting reference 63 during the book mode reading through acoil spring 24, and the Mylar holder 23 is raised toward the readingguide 13.

Accordingly, although the Mylar holder 23 (a non-elastic member) itselfdoes not have an elastic force, it raises the guide Mylar 14 with anelastic force through the coil spring 24 as an elastic member, and keepsthe feed path near the upstream inclined portion 13 b at a minuteinterval. The spring pressure of the coil spring 24 is adjusted so asnot to provide feed resistance during the feeding of this paper, and notto widen the feed path greatly during the feeding of thick paper.Accordingly, like the effect obtained in the first and secondembodiments, the shock with which the trailing edge of the document haspassed the ante-reading roller 11 is absorbed near the upstream inclinedportion 13 b, and the document at the reading position can betransported stably. The means for giving an elastic force to thenon-elastic member is not restricted to the construction of the presentembodiment, but can be any construction in which a non-elastic memberabuts against the guide Mylar 14 with an elastic force raises thelatter.

As described above, in the present invention, because of a constructionhaving a flat surface portion opposed to reading means, an upstreaminclined portion disposed between the flat surface portion and upstreamfeed means and connected to the upstream side of the flat surfaceportion, a downstream inclined portion disposed between the flat surfaceportion and downstream feed means and connected to the downstream sideof the flat surface portion, a guide member for guiding a surface sideopposite to the read surface of a document, a transparent sheet opposedto the guide member and for guiding the read surface side of thedocument, and sheet holding means for holding the transparent sheet sothat the transparent sheet may contact with the upstream inclinedportion or the gap between the transparent sheet and the upstreaminclined portion may become minute, in a document feeding apparatus, thevibration of the document due to the shock when the trailing edge of thedocument has passed the upstream feed means can be prevented byinexpensive and simple means to thereby prevent the misregister ordistortion of a read image.

1-10. (canceled)
 11. A document feeding apparatus for feeding a documentof which an image on a read surface is read by reading means, saiddocument feeding apparatus comprising: a feeding roller which feeds thedocument to the reading means; a guide member for guiding a surface sideopposite to the read surface of the document, wherein the guide memberhas a flat surface portion opposed to the reading means and an upstreaminclined portion disposed between the flat surface portion and thefeeding roller and connected to an upstream side of the flat surfaceportion; a transparent sheet opposed to the guide member and for guidingthe read surface of the document; and sheet holding means for holdingthe transparent sheet so that the transparent sheet may contact with theupstream inclined portion or the gap between the transparent sheet andthe upstream inclined portion may become minute.
 12. A document feedingapparatus according to claim 11, wherein the sheet holding means has anelastic member opposed to the upstream inclined portion and provided onthe opposite side with the transport sheet interposed therebetween, andraising the transparent sheet.
 13. A document feeding apparatusaccording to claim 12, wherein the elastic member is constituted by asheet-shaped elastic member.
 14. A document feeding apparatus accordingto claim 11, wherein the sheet holding means has a non-elastic memberabutting against the transparent sheet, and an elastic member forbiasing the non-elastic member toward the transparent sheet.
 15. Adocument feeding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the guidemember is provided with a projected number abutting against thetransparent sheet for keeping an interval between the reading means andthe transparent sheet at a predetermined amount.
 16. A document feedingapparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a downstreamfeeding roller provided on downstream side of the reading means, whereinthe guide member has a downstream inclined portion disposed between theflat surface portion and the downstream feeding roller and connected toa downstream side of the flat surface portion.
 17. An image readingapparatus comprising: a reading means for reading an image on a surfaceof a document to be read fed by a document feeding apparatus, whereinthe document feeding apparatus is a document feeding apparatus accordingto claim
 11. 18. An image forming apparatus for forming a toner image onan image bearing member on the basis of image information of a documentread by an image reading apparatus, and transferring the toner image toa recording medium to thereby form the image information, wherein theimage reading apparatus is an image reading apparatus according to claim17.